Though not officially an artist, Jean DeBoer would have to say that she feels she has some artistic talent. Over the years, she has sown creatively planned and implemented a new color scheme and decor for her home, enjoys floral arranging, and creating little vignettes with items in her home. As someone locally with an interest in the vitality of the art center, she volunteers once a month for four hours serving those who visit the center.

On her latest time of serving, she recorded her days events!

Sometimes in a four hour session three to four folks enter the center and other times twenty or more folks venture in, browse, perhaps purchase or inquire about items of interest.

In a recent session, a retired career military man came through and spoke of his art. He builds furniture but shared that he makes smaller items like jewelry boxes. His items are usually made of oak and he stated as most artists know, “Folks do not see the need to pay what I’d really need to make it pay. I mostly do it as a hobby.” I told him that his smaller wooden items, including doll houses to scale, might be cool to have displayed as a member artist!

Another member of the Austin Area Art Center, Judy, stopped in to check things out. She and I visited about the challenges of running a small community art center on limited funds. In the community she is from, she said the art center there has similar issues and does several fundraising events over the year including a Master Gardener Tour, which raises around $2000 for that local art center.

The mother of another artist stopped by to inquire about her family members work and we chatted about the process to exhibit on the members wall. I told her the items had to be properly framed with wire and backing if possible.

Another person stopped by to browse through the various cards on display. A Latino family with grade school age students came through and the children critiqued the Middle School Art that has been on display for February. The children overtly enjoyed their visit.

It was an interesting four hours today including the cleaning that took place of the light fixtures in the gallery!

Share this article

Comments

Dustin DeBoer of Solid Rock Photography is the Social Media Coordinator for the Austin Area Art Center in Austin, Minnesota. He is also a fine art photographer listed in the Cambridge Who’s Who and Magellan’s Who’s Who in Digital Photography Registry. He was in Minnesota’s second biggest art fair, 50th & France among others, and has been invited world wide to show case his fine art nature giclee and limited edition prints on aluminum.
Dustin is interested in being a regional resource for the arts community in Austin and beyond. To be a featured artists within the Austin and beyond art scene or to have Dustin promote your work, please contact him at 507-219-8371 or by email at dustin@solidrockphotography.org. Or view his work at
www.solidrockphotography.photoshelter.com.